


And that's why I smile

by Marishna



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Derek Hale & Sheriff Stilinski Bonding, Derek Has Feelings, M/M, Misconception, Pre-Derek Hale/Stiles Stilinski, for science, psychological experiment
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-06-07
Updated: 2015-06-07
Packaged: 2018-04-03 06:53:03
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 990
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4091173
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Marishna/pseuds/Marishna
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"Is it true that when dogs see a smiling human they interpret the baring of teeth as aggression?" Stiles asked, reading from a tweet.</p>
<p>Scott scoffed.  "No."</p>
<p>"You sure?  Cause it would explain a lot."</p>
            </blockquote>





	And that's why I smile

**Author's Note:**

> Written for the prompt "condition" at fullmoon_ficlet on LJ.

"Huh."

Scott barely looked up from where he was giving some kittens flea baths in the vet office tub.

"I said, 'huh'," Stiles said from where he was sitting on the counter across the room.

"I thought you were going to help me by cleaning out some cages," Scott replied.

"Yeah, but it's more fun to watch you handle wet pussy," Stiles replied. Scott snorted and shook his head.

"What are you reading?" he finally asked. Stiles held up his phone.

"Is it true that when dogs see a smiling human they interpret the baring of teeth as aggression?" Stiles asked, reading from a tweet.

Scott scoffed. "No."

"You sure? Cause it would explain a lot."

"About what?" Scott asked.

"Derek!" 

Scott stopped what he was doing, holding a kitten half lathered in special shampoo and gave Stiles a _look_. "You're crazy."

"I think I should do a conditioning experiment," Stiles said, ignoring Scott. 

"I don't know what you're going to do but don't," Scott said.

"Yeah, an experiment to make Derek like me through lack of perceived aggression!"

"Oh boy."

***

Stiles was being weird. Even for Stiles.

He'd been at the loft for the first time since coming home from his first year at college with the rest of the pack and he hadn't smiled at Derek once.

He'd acknowledged Derek, nodded at him and spoken to him, even. But he hadn't smiled.

Derek didn't realize at first but when they ran into each other in the kitchen (not a big place, bound to happen) Derek actually took the steps to engage Stiles in conversation and asked about his final exams and the drive back. It'd been a couple weeks since last speaking to Stiles via Skype and while he was away Derek realized he actually might've possibly missed him.

A little.

And now he was back. So things should be back to normal, right?

But Stiles didn't smile at him. Grinned at everyone else, made jokes and acted normal. But with Derek he spoke and was engaged but he either didn't smile or gave him tight, closed-mouth half smiles.

It felt weird.

***

Happened again at the grocery store a few days later.

Derek heard Stiles' voice an aisle over and peeked around the corner before approaching. He was talking to a girl Derek recognized as being in Stiles' grad class. They were having a casual catch up in the cereal section so Derek didn't feel like he was intruding on anything, especially not when he could hear Stiles' heartbeat and it was slow and steady. 

No attraction there.

So he walked up as Stiles was telling a joke, with his wide, infectious grin and the girl was laughing and it looked like a fun time. When Derek approached the girl noticed, waved bye to Stiles and carried on.   
 Stiles gave him that flat lipped weird face contortion look he thought was a smile.

"Sorry, didn't mean to interrupt," Derek mumbled, but Stiles shook his head.

"Not at all, we were just saying hello," Stiles explained.

"Looked like more than that," Derek grumbled under his breath and kept on walking, leaving Stiles in his wake.

***

Derek helped the Sheriff out with some of his cases on occasion, when he picked up on something going on locally. He dropped by late one night, a couple weeks after Stiles came home, and walked into the bullpen to see Stiles grinning at Parrish like he hung the fucking moon.

As soon as he saw Derek he shut down and nodded at Derek. Parrish greeted him normally, jerked his head toward the Sheriff's office because he knew the drill. As soon as the office door was closed he could hear Stiles' laugh again.

He sat down across from the Sheriff with what he was sure was a murderous expression. John raised an eyebrow.

"Trouble in paradise?" he asked and Derek felt his face flush.

"I don't know what you mean," he tried to say lightly but the Sheriff gave him an 'are you kidding me?' look.

"I don't know what I did," Derek said miserably, running a hand through his hair. "I thought we were fine, good. I thought maybe—" he cut himself off, getting redder when he realized what he was about to confess to Stiles' dad and owner of guns that could shoot both regular and wolfsbane bullets.

"Here's what I know, Derek. Stiles gets ideas in his head about stupid things. Can't see the forest for the trees at times. Needs help finding his way back in those moments," John said, sounding more like Deaton. Derek frowned and the Sheriff sighed. "Talk to him, son. Now, you got something for me?"

***

Derek paced impatiently, waiting for Stiles to arrive. He'd texted him rather vaguely that he needed him at the loft ASAP. Like clockwork Stiles burst through the door, holding a physical copy of the bestiary and panting.

"What's the emergency? Where is everyone? Are they already fighting?" Stiles asked breathlessly.

"Did I do something to make you angry with me?" Derek blurted out, destroying the carefully thought out discussion he wanted to have.

Stiles looked puzzled, then shook his head. "Of course not, what are you talking about?"   And he did that weird closed lip thing and Derek snapped. He walked to Stiles and pointed at him. "That, there!"

"What?" Stiles asked, his eyes crossing trying to see Derek's finger which jabbed him in the mouth, poking at his lips.

"What's with the look?" Derek demanded.

"Oh! It's my attempt at non-aggression."

"Excuse me?" Stiles explained the bared teeth thing and Derek rolled his eyes. "You? Are a moron. I _like_ your smile."

Stiles blinked. "You do?"

"Yeah, it's weird not to see it," Derek mumbled, getting red. Stiles grinned then, wide and beaming and Derek felt something in him settle.

"Huh. So, in a way my experiment worked?"

 Derek cuffed him on the head. "Not even a little."


End file.
